Saturday, 27 October 2012

It is a fact that although the Death of the Discworld is, in his own
words, an ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERSONIFICATION, he long ago gave up using the
traditional skeletal horses, because of the bother of having to stop
all the time to wire bits back on. -- (Terry Pratchett, Mort)

Friday, 26 October 2012

"Why do you bother with him? He's had thousands of people killed!""Yes, but perhaps he thought that you wanted it." -- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)

According
to Battleclinic, I have inflicted over one trillion ISK in damage over
my many years of piracy. A staggering figure and one which quite frankly blows my mind. In the process I have lost 21.75billion ISK in ships and modules...

An expensive past time this ole Piracy lark.

So what makes an effective Pirate? A question asked on the forums many times with various and very verbose explanations given, but the one thing I believe, is that a Pirate makes money from the violence he inflicts, minimising losses to increase profit.

Pirates are just businessmen... with guns, we redistribute the wealth, from your wallet, into ours, much like any businessman with any savvy.

So the question I now ask is this, would you do anything with in your power to make your business more profitable?

So this brings me on to the second part of this blog, and the part where I make a statement and then tell a story

Statement: I
will no longer debate my use of links or entertain discourse with regards to their use with anonymous posters, comments by anonymous users or users not using their main in-game name will be deleted.

What I
will do is give a little background as to why links made me the
effective Pirate I am today. The key word here is Pirate, cause that is
what I am.

I have never claimed to be the best solo PVPer in the game,
nor have I ever claimed to be the best PVPer in my area, but what I will
say, is that I'm one of the best pirates in the game and the numbers
above give credence to my claim

The links were a remedy to my
hunting of ISK farmers who would farm the 2/10 in nigh untouchable super
frigates, who used a combination of the powerful gistii afterburners (which at the time gave better speed boosts than ordinary afterburners) and long range tackle to try and hold me in place whilst their friends would come and try kill me. Quite often elaborate traps were set to try and dissuade me from engaging them but I had built a powerful Jaguar that was perfect for hunting these pilots, but as time went on, they got faster and used ever more elaborate traps or just simply, warped away.

I got a little frustrated with these guys getting away, running the plex with impunity, them and their buddies laughing at me as I couldn't catch them or fell into their traps. Things had to change and in the NovaKane hangar, Keira was industriously studying leadership, she even went out of her way to purchase a mindlink that would be implanted once she had acquired sufficient knowledge to not have it fry her brain.

Skirmish links also allowed me to catch ISK farmers that plagued Ingunn, the extra range and speed afforded by said links meant I was able to catch the gun shy farmers no matter the distance, despite their over reliance on warp core stabilizers.

Links have made me a better Pirate, just as some use ECM or sheer numbers, with the help of their own links, I use the tools at my disposal and make no apologies for it.

And then there are the fights, where no links are needed, or used, a fight where all involved are there to shoot and be shot at, such as one which occurred only minutes ago in Eifer, a Rifter and Incursus, seemingly together, but not sure as a friend had watched the Rifter pilot dispatch a rather speedy and cocky IVY pilot back to highsec. I bring my own Incursus and this time I remembered to deploy my drone as I mark the Rifter as the primary threat and make with dispatching him as fast as possible but I fail key tackle and let him get out of range, so I switch to the Incursus as the Rifter goes out to about 20km to claw back some armour, the Incursus is rocked from top to bottom as lethal Null rounds slam into his hull, and he evaporates so fast after the armour disintegrated I almost double checked I didn't let the bugger slip away with some fail tackle, but the fight was not over, the Rifter barrels back in and I overheat everything... EVERYTHING.

Thursday, 25 October 2012

"These people were not only cheering, they were throwing flowers and
hats. The hats were made of stone, but the thought was there." -- Life among the primitive Discworld tribes

(Terry Pratchett, Eric)

My day started with a rather extreme workout, for which my muscles aren't thanking me for right now, but to avoid the atrophy of long spells spent in a capsule full of goo, it's a necessary evil.
The 2/10 seems to be picking up again, thanks to the likes of Sard Caid and his stream and Miura Bull's fantastic guide promoting them as bastions of PvP, the one in Gus is seeing a little more attention paid to it, and this is a good thing.

The first fight of the day was against a Jaguar, a ship I am intimately acquainted with, as of late there is a rather nasty dual medium ancillary shield booster fit making the rounds but regardless I chose a fun new ship to play with, The Sentinel.

Sentinel

Name: Sentinel
Hull: Crucifier Class
Role: Electronic Attack ShipElectronic attack ships are mobile, resilient electronic warfare
platforms. Although well suited to a variety of situations, they really
come into their own in skirmish and fleet encounters, particularly
against larger ships. For anyone wanting to decentralize their fleet’s
electronic countermeasure capabilities and make them immeasurably harder
to counter, few things will serve better than a squadron or two of
these little vessels.

Developer: Viziam

Viziam ships are quite possibly the most durable ships money can buy.
Their armor is second to none and that, combined with superior shields,
makes them hard nuts to crack. Of course this does mean they are rather
slow and possess somewhat more limited weapons and electronics options.

It ticks a lot of boxes as a Frigate destroyer for me, particularly a few variations that rely on capacitor and turrets. So I undock and warp to the 2/10
The Jaguar seems to be in two minds as it takes him a little while to come to me, but when he does he warps in nearly on top of me, not ideal as his damage would hurt at such range... That it does, but overloaded energy neutralisers soon shut his propulsion and tackle mods down, which allows me to gain range and use my tracking disruptor to full effect.

Once at range it is pretty much over as he valiantly tries to swat my drones, but the little critters are tenacious and tear the Jaguar apart, piece by piece.

Kenzo Shimada > gfKane Rizzel > gfKenzo Shimada > never seen this ship in action beforeKenzo Shimada > niceKane Rizzel > I've only been flying it a few days, enjoying it, something differentKenzo Shimada > I have to confess, that I underestimated it a littleKenzo Shimada > but then my cap was gone^^Kane Rizzel > I'm finding most people areKane Rizzel > yeah, it caps frigates pretty quicklyKane Rizzel > you got very close in the beginning and got web on, thought I was done forKenzo Shimada > yup, but then within a few secs my cap was goneKenzo Shimada > and so were youKenzo Shimada > couldn't get any closer to youKenzo Shimada > good fight though o7Kane Rizzel > yeah, gf o7

A few minutes later, a Retribution class assault frigate enters system and I guess he'll be heading to the 2/10. I undock the Sentinel again and DSCAN shows him where I expect, I warp over, overheat everything, I land and the DSCAN shows him inside the plex, probably waiting at zero, which is not ideal for me, but I warp in anyways... Yup, he's waiting for me and I hit him with a full force of neuts, but a single volley from his medium pulse lasers strips my shields, the second volley puts me at half armour, if it carries on like this my Sentinel won't be long for this Verse... I probably forgot to mention this thing has no tank whatsoever :)

I struggle to get range, but an overheated afterburner pulls me out to 15km, my tracking disruptor playing havoc with his laser optimal range, and shortly there-after he stops shooting altogether as his cap runs dry. A tense few seconds for me becomes frustration for the Retribution pilot as my drones are now free to do as they want to the golden ship, and what they want is explosions.

He accepts and I disengage my tackle and let him go on his merry, although 50million ISK poorer :)

Operation IVY

A rather large fleet of EVE University rolls through Gus (add to that a Manticore and two further Stilettos)
I shall use this opportunity to promote a rather useful tool for all your FC/Scouting needs, DingoGS's FC Toolbox.Kane Rizzel > there's an acre of you fellasJake Uta > Do you know the way to Rens?Kane Rizzel > go get some more and I'll take you onJake Uta > http://i.imgur.com/AvHwD.gifKane Rizzel > what's a rens?powerfreak evans > a systempowerfreak evans > ;)

Nothing comes of this however as they move on.

Links up: A tale of two Maledictions

The family is back in Gusandall, for the moment, and as such I employed the use of skirmish links for this next fight.

A single Malediction enters Gusandall, naturally assuming it will be going to the 2/10, I board something a little more daring to take on the rocket based interceptor, an Incursus.

Incursus

The Incursus may be found both spearheading and bulwarking Gallente military operations. Its speed makes it excellent for skirmishing duties, while its resilience helps it outlast its opponents on the battlefield. Incursus-class ships move together in groups and can quickly and effectively gang up on ships many times their size and overwhelm them. In recent years the Incursus has increasingly found its way into the hands of pirates, who love its aggressive appearance. Gallente Frigate Skill Bonus: 10% bonus to Armor Repairer effectiveness and 5% bonus to Small Hybrid Turret damage per skill level.

I undock and warp straight to the 2/10 and sure enough, the Malediction warps in at range... And continues to stay at range whilst holding me tackled.

Alekseyev Karrde > let you go for 3milKane Rizzel > :)

There's no way I'm going to catch him at the rate he's moving, and there's no way in hell I'm going quietly without getting a shot off, so gang is formed and skirmish links go up. I overheat my mods and try to activate them but for some reason the overheat primer has fused my mods and I sit helpless as the Malediction skilfully pilots around me, I bide my time, he's holding me for a reason, which soon becomes apparent as his corpmate jumps into system in another Malediction.

This is when the fight gets interesting, after what felt like 5 minutes of me trying to slingshot into range, the first Malediction starts to close, I try to tackle it, but my mods are still fused, I toggle overheat a few times, eventually I can activate my mods and the fight begins in earnest. Second Malediction warps in and starts to close, my blasters start playing merry havoc with the firsts armour but he seems to be repping well, but only a matter of seconds till he breaks, and break he does, I turn all attention to the second Malediction, I'm easily repping his damage and he's doing the same to mine... It's about now I remember I have a drone to use...

For fucks sake, this will be the first deployment of this drone since I started using this particular Incursus and he's raring to go, I unleash the wee beastie and he zips across the void to add to my Null damage and the second Malediction explodes.

Alekseyev Karrde > vgfKane Rizzel > gfKane Rizzel > gfKane Rizzel > very gfPreestar > gfKane Rizzel > my overheating wasn't working for most of thatKane Rizzel > very weirdAlekseyev Karrde > Rizzel, did you have off grid armor links for that?Kane Rizzel > just skirmishAlekseyev Karrde > tank was wicked broKane Rizzel > but my overheat wasn't workingKane Rizzel > the incursus is mad tankKane Rizzel > built in bonusAlekseyev Karrde > ayeAlekseyev Karrde > havnt actually tried to kill one w just frigates since the patchKane Rizzel > it's a nasty little ship and a beast with nullKane Rizzel > good fight though, wasn't going to catch you even with skirmish if you didn't come in, was just biding my time :)Alekseyev Karrde > p much the same on our end. I knew i couldnt take you by myself, but i was surprised the two males couldnt break the local. Now i know heheAlekseyev Karrde > gotta scoot

A good fight from good opponents :)

In other news

Long time friend and Celebrity Death Match founder, Nashh Kadavr is leaving the Capsule behind and retiring to a terran existence, all the best old friend, may your skies always be friendly :)

Edit: I've been asked a few times now, those are my knuckles in the previous blog :)

Saturday, 20 October 2012

Cuddy had only been a guard for a few days, but already he had absorbed
one important and basic fact: it is almost impossible for anyone to be
in a street without breaking the law. -- (Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms)

Life in Gusandall has been good over the years, with old friends departed, some new friends have appeared and whilst Gus is no longer the fortress it once was in those halcyon days, it's still my home.

As old friends have departed, so have old foes and Gus sometimes feels a very lonely place but I have in the past shown great patience and so it is now that I practice it. The 2/10 seems to have livened up a bit and I've cut my teeth on a few new frigates. The Incursus is much fun and the Sentinel is beyond ridiculous fun as well if a bit frustrating.

The universe has changed, with as many cloaked strategic cruisers about as things that have changed. This of course makes hunting more difficult as strategic cruiser pilots are terribly gun shy, running or cloaking as soon as anything with a heart beat enters local.

Eifer has lost a lot of what once made it a haven for good fights, it seems aspiring combat pilots no longer see it as a place to cut their teeth.

I don't know what the answer is to bring good fights back, if only with I had the time to commit to bringing the glory back to my little pocket of space.

So hunting now requires more patience and a lot more luck, but always, keep your eyes open.

Saturday, 6 October 2012

Using
a metaphor in front of a man as unimaginative as Ridcully was like a
red flag to a bu-- was like putting something very annoying in front of
someone who was annoyed by it.

-- (Terry Pratchett, Lords and Ladies)

Through
various back channels an op of some significance was forming, Molden
Heath the host, I was informed that I would be required to bring a
plated Rupture, a quick scan of my hangars in Bosena confirming I had
said ship available so I made preparations to clone jump, instead of
making the x jumps from my home in Gusandall. As the area had been sort
of barren of late, I was certain a change of scenery might even change
my luck.

I
jumped over and contracted my Rupture to a carrier pilot who would be
jumping it to the staging system, once done I joined the locals in
harassing some Russians who had engaged an acquaintance one system over,
unfortunately I started taking sentry fire as the locals were at war
with the Russians and I was the only one who took GCC. With me yo-yoing
to and from the gate we managed to kill three Drakes and scattered the
Russians to the four winds. My Oracle in deep armour when the dust
settled.

Back in Bosena it was time to move the staging system and once there I started waiting...

And waiting...

And waiting...

The
op muster had come and gone, but I was informed plans had changed so I
raced back to Bosena, to be told I would need an interceptor or assault
frigate... Of which I had none so I started to peruse the well stocked
Bosena market and bought a Stiletto class interceptor and went about the
task of fitting it.

One
of the rigs I had chosen presented me with a small problem, 114million
SP and I couldn't fit it as I didn't have the skill 0_o

A quick trade with Tits and he kindly fit the rig for me.

So there I was, in an interceptor class I had never flown before, but eager to have some fun with it.

Soon
we undocked and following our FC, the might Dirty Protagonist's orders we're soon on our way, the general
plan was to find some Russians and start a fight, but as with most
things, the plan doesn't always go as it should and we made a trip
through Great Wildlands, trying as best we could to not give away
details of our fleet or what direction we were coming from, but the
Russians didn't seem too bothered and their supposed muster had also
passed, many online but little movement on their part. Fact is, most of us had no clue where we were going either, but the promise of violence is like one of those things, where folk can't resist.

Eventually
news of their dread deployment reaches us but our scouts lose track of
them as the surrounding area is lit up with cynos, scouts move every
which way but it is Sard Caid who brings the best news... Dreads sieging
POCOs... But not Russian dreads. But that's not going to stop us now.
The fleet had swelled to a massive thirty assorted frigates,
interceptors, assault frigates, a destroyer and a single Caracal.

Sard
barrels in with his Condor of Destruction and lays down the tackle, the
dreads start to scatter and Sard points one of the Naglfar, the other
getting caught up on the POCO. This didn't help it at all as our fleet
of mixed frigates, Thrasher and a Caracal descended upon the hapless
dreads. Blotting out the star, we swarmed over the two Naglfar, grabbing
points as the dreads cycled in and out of siege. Our minuscule DPS must
have seemed amusing but we had one of the dreads at half shields when
the suggestion of shooting each other was given, so that they could
whore onto each others kill mails and to shorten the agonising minutes
it would take for them to die, with no attempt from their corp mates to
bring a support fleet to counter us and maybe save the multi billion ISK
dreadnoughts.

The
Russian dreads never materialised even after we used a Niddhogur
carrier at one of their POS to induce a fight, so we just went in and
incapacitated the warp disruption battery and then went home... All in
all, a good night.

Wednesday, 3 October 2012

I haven't met with a great deal of success since my return to Gusandall , certain miscalculations and general combat rustiness making me seem less than competent. I have bitten off more than I can chew on occasion and made great errors in judgement on others. Recent redesigns of favourite ships has made them slightly less stellar than they have been in the past and made others more potent than I remember but that just makes me more determined to make them work.

My lack of intel seems to be a quite large factor in my failures. The 1v1s I've lost were mainly down to me misjudging my opponents and failure to pilot properly, seems my long break had a greater impact than I first thought.

Or could it be that my heart just isn't in it anymore? Maybe I've lost that passion that drove me all these years to be a name, a force to be reckoned with, not just another in a long line of faces that nobody remembers.

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